Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-12-02

Withdrawals now demanded perem ptorily
/ In the public interest 8 speedy revocation
or the same; and that the most effective
! way or eNpedltlng the adjustment of the
Iaho grants and doing exact justice to the
, companies, guarding and promoting the
interests OF the settlers also, was to per
nlt the public TO enter into competition
with the companies in the selection of the
lands heretofore withdrawn for indemnity
| purposes.
SECRETARY LAMAR's ORDER
| The secretary refers to his rule of Nav
IS, upon the different companies to show
the cause why the Withdrawals should
| not be revoked. He adds: Some of
the companies failed to show cause.
others failed on answers asserting to the
revocation as they had received sstisfac-
ton of the grant either in full or far as
possible; others assented on the condi-
tlon that the lands covered by the selec-
tlons already made should be excepted
from the order of revocation, and other
companies objected to the order of ,reyo-
cation as illegal and a violation of the
chartered rights. Briefs were filed and
oral arguments accorded to the counsel
OF such companies as desired to be heard
all OF which were carefully considered as
was due to the Importance of the cues
| ton and the magnitude of the interests
involved, and on August Is, 1887, NV
views were fully expressed in the de
clslon rendered in the case of the Allan
tic Pacific Railroad company, which.
by answer and argument raised nearly
all the objections that were presented in
part only by number of other compan-
les. Two days later the orders withdraw
ing the lands within the indemnity
limits, and reserving the lands from
settlement were revoked, and the lands
RESTORED TO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND TO
SETTLEMENT,
first, In the cases of the two compsnies
which had not answered; second, in those
which answered and assented; third, in
the cases of companies which set up de-
lenses coming within the rulings in the
foregoing opinion,
In the congressional grants to the Has
tings Dakota, st. Paul d Northern Pa
cltic, and st. Paul, Minneapolis d Manito-
ba, st. Paul Il Sioux City, Sioux CITY i
st. Pcul and the Winona i St. Peter. it is
provided that upon the filing of maps
designating the routes of said roads and
branches, 1t shall be the duty of the
secretary of the interior to withdraw
from the market the lands embraced
within the provisions of the act making
the grant. In consequence of this pro
vision of the act making the grant, these
roads were omitted from the Or
ders of restoration. 1t will be
seen from the order passed in
the Atlantic j Pacific railway case,
and which was applied to other COM
panles, mutais mutandis, that whilst it
was determined that the lands in oucs-
tion should not longer be withheld from
appropriation under the settlement laws,
every precaution possible was taken to
protect the legal rights of corporations.
Following this action, instructions were
subsequently issued to the commissioner
of the general land offices to detail all the
available force in his Office to the work of
adjusting road grants and proceeding as
rapidly as possible with the same.
The amount of lane restored to the
public domain, through orders revoking
indemnity Withdrawals is stated by the
commissioner of the general land Office |
to be 81, 1928 900 acres.
beg to refer to what has been said in
another part of this report in relation to
the imperative necessity of apprcpria-
tlons for surveys, without which com
piete adjustment of these railroad grants
Is not practical at an early day.
Zorro Snnn1pnpa R.tw